Attorney General Brad Schimel is asking for disciplinary action against nine people following his investigation into the leaking of documents collected during a now-closed probe of Gov. Scott Walker's campaign.

Schimel made the recommendation in a report released Wednesday. Jefferson County Circuit Judge William Hue is overseeing the probe and says he hopes to make a decision within 40 days after receiving the report Tuesday afternoon.

Schimel says former Government Accountability Board attorney Shane Falk should be referred to the Office of Lawyer Regulation for knowing and repeated violations of secrecy orders.

Schimel also said contempt proceedings should be brought against Falk and three other former GAB employees, special prosecutor Francis Schmitz, Elections Commission attorney Nathan Judnic and three employees of the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office.

There was "systemic and pervasive mishandling" of evidence during the investigation that led to the leak of documents to the Guardian newspaper, Schimel said.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice is not recommending the filing of any criminal charges following its investigation.

Schmitz said Wednesday he was "completely surprised" by the recommendation that he be found in contempt. In a statement Schmitz said he cooperated with Justice Department officials at the outset of their investigation "and had no further contact with them."

No one else named by Schimel immediately commented to The Associated Press.

Schimel determined the leak came from the GAB, but couldn't determine who exactly was behind it.

Unknown Secret Investigation Into Republicans Found

The report also discloses Justice Department investigators discovered a previously unknown secret investigation "into a broad range of Wisconsin Republicans" related to illegal campaigning on state government time.

Emails were collected from Walker, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson and Reince Priebus, who was formerly head of the Republican Party in Wisconsin and went on to serve as President Donald Trump's chief of staff.

Emails from a host of other Republican office holders, staff members and strategists were also collected.

Republican state senator and candidate for U.S. Senate Leah Vukmir said Wednesday that news that personal emails of hers were among those collected was "upsetting," "appalling" and "sickening."

Vukmir says those behind collecting her emails should be in prison. The emails included personal exchanges between Vukmir and her daughter.

Vukmir said she is "horrified to learn again just how invasive this witch hunt was into nearly every part of every major Wisconsin conservative's life."

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